Labour Law Compliance in India

Labour laws are a set of compliances that set the tone for the treatment of the labour force in the workplace. Labour is the greatest asset for an organisation and to ensure that their rights are protected and to safeguard them against any exploitation, labour laws are enforced. It regulates the companies, workers, and trade unions. Non-compliance with the laws can lead to punitive action towards the organisation.
Labour Laws are imposed by the State as well as the Central Government. The labour law compliances are not just restricted to filing returns, but these records serve as evidence for the compliance of the laws and must be produced to the authorities in case of any discrepancies. There are laws that are enforceable only for certain work environments. And there are some laws that are enforceable to all organisations.

The list of labour laws in India are as follows:

Trade Unions Act, 1926
Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946
Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
Payment of Wages Act, 1936
Payment of Bonus Act, 1965
Working Journalists (Fixation of Rates of Wages) Act, 1958
Factories Act, 1948
Plantations Labor Act, 1951
Mines Act, 1952
Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976
Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Services) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955
Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979
Dock Workers (Safety, Health and Welfare) Act, 1986
Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996
Cine-workers and Cinema Theatre Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1981
Dangerous Machines (Regulation) Act, 1983
Merchant Shipping Act, 1958
Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961
Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005
Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) Act, 1948
Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Inapplicability to Major Ports) Act, 1997
Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976
Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013
Apprentices Act, 1961
Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959
Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923
Employees State Insurance Act, 1948
Employees Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provision Act, 1952
Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972
Employer’s Liability Act, 1938
Fatal Accidents Act, 1855
Limestone and Dolomite Labor Welfare Fund Act, 1972
Mica Mines Labor Welfare Fund Act, 1946
Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines, and Chrome Ore Mines Labor Welfare (Cess) Act, 1976
Iron Ore Mines, Manganese Ore Mines, and Chrome Ore Mines Labor Welfare Fund Act, 1976
Personal Injuries (Compensation Insurance) Act, 1963
Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act, 1962
Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008
Beedi Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1976
Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1976
Cine Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1981
Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981

As it is evident every law serves a certain purpose and hence all labour laws are employment-based and some are establishments based. In the event of non-compliance, an organisation will be subject to fines, penalties, lawsuit, loss of credibility, loss of contract, and maybe even closure of the business. The Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSHW), 2020, has been introduced by the Labour and Employment Ministry and has proposed one license, one registration, and one return for establishments for Indian companies. The Proposed bill suggests consolidating 13 Labour laws easing out the registration and compliance process for organisations. The Rajya Sabha in September, 2020 passed the bill and 29 labour laws are consolidated in four labour codes of Industrial Relations Code 2020, Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code 2020, Social Security Code 2020 and Wage Code 2020. Disclaimer: The materials provided herein are solely for information purposes. No attorney-client relationship is created when you access or use the site or the materials. The information presented on this site does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be relied upon for such purposes or used as a substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your state.